Liverpool matches moved as FIFA changes Club World Cup final venue

Liverpool’s two Club World Cup matches have been moved from Al Rayyan to Doha after FIFA was forced to switch the venue for the final.

The new Education City Stadium was scheduled to host the European champions in a semi-final on December 18, in addition to the final and third-place play-off on December 21.

But the official opening of the 40,000-seat venue has been delayed until 2020 after FIFA failed to complete the relevant test events on time.

The matches have been moved to the Khalifa International Stadium, which will now host five games in total.

“Construction at Education City Stadium is complete and the venue is now operational,” read a FIFA statement.

“However, the necessary certification process took longer than expected and therefore the stadium was unable to host the required test events prior to the semi-final and final of the FIFA Club World Cup at full capacity.

“The priority is to ensure an enjoyable experience for all fans so it was decided to open the stadium at a later date.”

#LFC can confirm we have been informed by FIFA that our two matches in the FIFA #ClubWC will now be played at Khalifa International Stadium and not Education City as planned. https://t.co/GWWOq2mPo2

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 7, 2019

Liverpool said club officials would visit Qatar in the coming days to inspect Khalifa International Stadium, “as per our protocols”.

The tournament is due to begin on December 11, when Xavi’s Al Sadd take on OFC Champions League winners Hienghene Sport at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha.